Once the luxury of a select few, the not-so-humble helipad is having a bit of a moment. With the explosion of interest in the explorer yacht market, a touch-and-go landing pad is becoming more of a necessity than the extravagance it once was. Sure, a tender will get you from shore to superyacht in good time, but there's nothing that quite compares to touching down on the bow. We take a closer look at some of the best helidecks afloat...
A defining feature of Geco's exterior design is the touch-and-go helipad on the foredeck. The minimalist platform complements the modern and slender profile of the 55 metre superyacht, and when not hosting a chopper, this round platform is instead transformed into a Moroccan-style cocktail area best enjoyed at sunset. After dark, the helipad also works as the perfect spot for stargazing.
Hodor's 220 square metre helideck is fully certified and a CAP 437-compliant helipad sits aft of the 66-metre catamaran's upper deck. The Incat Crowther shadow cat features an Airbus H145 helicopter in matching stealth-grey among its plethora of superyacht toys.
The foredeck on the 95.2 metre Lürssen superyacht Kismet is marked for half-court basketball, but it can also double up as a touch-and-go helipad. Her sport-loving owner Shahid Khan has sports interests on both sides of the Atlantic, owning both the Jacksonville Jaguars basketball team and Fulham FC.
Espen Øino designed the 72.25 metre Abeking & Rasmussen explorer yacht Cloudbreak with a cinema lounge right next to the helipad, so returning heli-skiers could step straight inside from the Bell 429 Global Ranger and watch GoPro footage of their day’s performance on the slopes.